Europe

Politische Entscheidungsträger, Verwaltungsbeamte und Think-Tank-Analysten aus der Region trafen vom 29. bis 30. Juni in Berlin zusammen, um Zukunftsszenarien zur Reform der öffentlichen Verwaltung zu entwickeln.

Public administration constitutes a vast area for reform in the countries of the Western Balkans. Political leaders have committed themselves to creating a professional, depoliticized, transparent, and service-oriented public sector – a requirement that also ranks highly on the EU’s priority list for future member states. But will reform efforts succeed in the long run? And what might public administration in the Western Balkans look like in ten years?

Fighting in Eastern Ukraine in recent weeks has put the international spotlight back on the bloody conflict. At the same time, potential resolution to the confrontation between Russia and the West is hindered by the potential upgrade of Russian nuclear forces and the deployment of additional NATO troops in Eastern Europe. What effect will these roadblocks have on the implementation of the Minsk agreements? How can the transatlantic allies support Ukraine in its reform efforts and help safeguard its sovereignty? Will Western sanctions pressure Russia into using its leverage in the region to resolve the conflict?

Die Chancen und Risiken des Handelsabkommens TTIP, deutsche und französische Antworten auf den „Dschihad-Tourismus“ und der Stand einer neuen digitalen Agenda – die Themen des zweiten Seminars des Deutsch-französischen Zukunftsdialogs 2015 in Lyon widmeten sich einer Vielfalt aktueller Fragestellungen.